Thieves
by Kyne's Peace
Summary: The twins Ranya and Ilyas are members of the Thieves Guild of Jerusalem. One crucial day their mentor sends them to the feared brotherhood of the Assassins on the ultimate heist: breaking into Solomon's temple to retrieve a meaningful artifact. Little did they know that the templars seek to destroy everyone who allies with the Assassins.
1. The Twins

**A/N:** I have big plans for this fanfic. This story (or a similar one to be precise) has been on my mind for years and I'm more than happy that I finally managed to write a plot-plan and start with the actual story. I have spent a lot of time on background stories to make the fic more attractive, but so far I haven't come up with much. I'll just make that up as I go.

 _ **Also, as the website doesn't allow me to add 2 OCs, I'll have to add here that I have another pairing which is: OC/Rauf (The OCs are the twins)**_

This story was inspired by the Elders Scrolls: Skyrim's thieves guild.

Anyway, have fun reading (even though it's not much right now)

* * *

 _Chapter 1: The Twins_

Slowly and creeping, like an extremely deadly plague, the darkness laid itself on the wilderness. The sandy area around Jerusalem was silent except for two huntresses who were following their prey utterly quiet and as lethal as the all-consuming darkness.

One of them was a young woman, clad in black and equipped with a bow. Her companion was currently sneaking alongside the woman, never taking its eyes off her and waiting for a signal to attack. The woman waited until the hare was showing signs of relaxation as it was deeming itself safe.

The small animal suddenly sat up and the woman could see that the hare was checking its surroundings one last time for any danger. Having seen no threat, the hare returned to eating a tuft of grass that looked way too dry to be satisfying. Now or never, the woman thought and gave a short nod to her companion, a cheetah that quickly lunged forward on the signal and caught the hare off-guard. The poor thing never stood a chance against the young woman and her feline companion.

Ranya stood up and strode over to Soraya who held the hare in a deadly grip in her mouth. Their prey gave its last kick before it stopped moving altogether. Ranya hold out her hand in front of Soraya who laid her kill carefully into her palm.

The woman secured the hare on her belt and petted Soraya's head. Noticing that it was going to be completely dark soon, she seized her bow and headed back home.

* * *

Ilyas was going through several drawers as he was trying to find a particular item. He was searching for a golden necklace which he was told he would find in the house of a wealthy citizen. His mentor had said that the contract had come from another noble man who claimed that whoever owned this house had obtained the necklace in an unfair way. Ilyas guessed that gambling and hubris had probably played a role in that.

He sighed. He had gone through every drawer and looked under everything that might have served as a stash for the necklace. He was running out of time, even though this had been his first room to go through, the timeframe for him wasn't much bigger than that. With luck he could search one more room before someone came up and caught him.

The thief carefully peaked out from the room onto the hallway. Finding no one and also hearing no sound he silently made his way to the next room. It looked like the first room, a bed on one wall and shelves and cupboards decorating the other walls. On the bed side was a window which would come in handy if he would hear someone. Ilyas returned to his work. After a short amount of time he found an interesting casket. It wasn't much decorated but it was locked with a tiny metal lock. He knew that the owner of this place was wealthy but locks that were that small cost too much to be placed on simple caskets. Something important must be in there then. Ilyas took out his tools and started to pick the lock. After two broken picklocks the lock opened and revealed lots of shiny things. There was a lot of golden jewelry but thankfully the contractee had given them a detailed description of the necklace. Still going through the contents of the casket, Ilyas could hear footsteps coming up the stairs. With a lot more haste now he searched the golden valuables and was overly relieved when he felt a locket that resembled the description. He put it quickly into one of his many pockets and closed the casket to stash it in the drawer.

Ilyas sprinted to the window and leaped out, grabbing onto the facade to climb down.

He smiled triumphantly as he headed back to the hideout.

* * *

Ranya closed the entrance behind her and Soraya. She was glad that they had found this tunnel in one of their early exploration tours as it was much easier to get her cheetah into their hideout that way instead of going through the main gates of the city. As hunting was forbidden as well without a special permission, she would have been stopped there anyway.

She took a torch that they had stored at every used entrance and lighted it at an already lighted torch that was hanging on the tunnel wall.

Ranya quickly followed Soraya as she was beginning to feel tired but still had about half an hour to walk since their hideout was set in the south of the rich district and therefore under the middle part of the whole city.

She silently cursed herself for not having brought her coat. Every time she went through this tunnel after dawn she was freezing but she somehow never learned to bring a coat and put it at the entrance so that she didn't have to carry it while she was away but also didn't have to freeze on her way back down there.

As they neared the Vault, which was the name they had given the entire underground hideout, Soraya started to become restless. She began jumping excitedly and ran a little ahead until she eventually stopped to let Ranya catch up. Ranya was used to that behavior, it meant that her dear twin brother was at home. Even though it had been Ranya who had raised Soraya, the cheetah loved both twins individually and listened to each of them.

"Alright Soraya, you can go", Ranya said with a smile when she thought she had tortured her friend enough. Soraya gave something off that sounded like a stuttered bark, as she did often when she was very excited and sprinted off towards the Vault. Just a few minutes later Ranya arrived there as well.

She entered the first room of the hideout that was the home of the thieves guild. All tunnels that were still in use connected to this room, which was why they always had one or two of them stand guard.

"Good evening, Rani. How was the hunt?", Abdul, who was alone on watch, asked as he leaned against one of the pillars.

"We caught a hare. Not much but better than nothing."

The middle aged thief smiled in response and nodded. "True. Hannah is already preparing dinner, you better go to her straight away."

Ranya nodded and followed the portal that led to the main room, where most of the activity took place. Entering the main room from the first room, one had the cooking area to their left side and could see the big door that lead to their library, where the thieves not only stored books but also had a training area. Ranya went light-footed to the cooking area where she could already see Hannah, an elderly woman who had joined the guild very early.

The guild had been founded twenty-two years ago, when Ranya and her brother had been just two years old, by their uncle Ismail, who was also their mentor now. Back then Ismail was in dire need of something like a hideout and also someone who could watch the children, as his sister, who was the twins' mother, had died shortly before. He had allied to some of the other homeless people who begged and stole to survive and luckily one of them had found an entrance to what was their Vault today. With a lot of kindness in his heart, Ismail had taken in everyone he had befriended in that time and also whoever those friends brought to him. One of them had been Hannah, who had been an unmarried woman and because of that had to live on the street. Together they built a home down there and became a family, but they mostly referred to themselves as a guild.

Every one of them had their own place in the guild, as Ranya was for example often hunting, but she was also as busy being a thief. Hannah was too old for any jobs or missions, which was why she had become the guild's mother, she was always cooking for them and cleaned the Vault as if it was a palace that needed to be tidy at all times. This spectrum of work would bore Ranya to no end, but Hannah was quite happy with her daily routine and nobody interfered with how she handled everything. Sometimes she would request help however, but nobody complained too loudly.

"Rani, my dear, how was the hunt?", Hannah asked her fosterling as she was standing by the kettle.

Ranya detached the hare from her belt and held it out to the woman. Hannah's eyes were beaming as she saw the little animal. "That will go perfectly with the soup! Thank you, dear!" Hannah took the hare and put it on a table before she hugged Ranya tightly. The young thief was often surprised how easy it was to make Hannah happy, to be honest she had never seen the old woman angry or even sad. Without her, the guild wouldn't be as much of a family as it was.

"Have you seen Soraya by any chance?", Ranya asked after Hannah had let go of her. The woman started right away with skinning the hare.

"How could I not? She almost knocked me over when I was standing there." She pointed towards the middle of the giant vault.

"Anyway, she ran into the library, your brother and uncle are there, too."

Ranya thanked Hannah for the information and wasted no time. She greeted her fellow thieves on her way and entered the library. She wasn't really sure why they called it a library, as they had not more than 2 shelves filled with books. Not even half of one wall was covered with books and the rest of the rather big room consisted of a training area for sword combat and archery. They had some dummies made out of hay for practice that had to be repaired regularly. Then there were also some tables and chairs should someone find the patience to read one of the books. In the library was also the mentor's bureau that was separated from the library by shelves in which they stored weapons and also some other materials, such as leather.

Ranya couldn't see Soraya nor her brother in the library, which was why she continued for the bureau. The curtains that served as a door were pulled back and she could see Soraya who was jumping excitedly around her uncle and brother.

"Rani! Back from the hunt I see", said her brother and strode over to her to give her a quick hug.

"And you're back from the burglary. Were you successful?", she asked Ilyas who nodded in response and pointed at their uncle's desk on which she could see a golden necklace.

In the meantime Soraya had calmed down and laid down on the ground in a corner. "Sometimes I think that she is secretly a dog", Ismail said and motioned for them to sit down in the sitting part of the room where carpets and pillows filled the corner. Before joining them he closed the curtain-door and Ranya wasn't surprised as Soraya stood up again to make herself comfortable behind Ranya and Ilyas, pressing tightly against their backs.

"There was something important you wanted to tell us, uncle", Ilyas said. That made Ranya uncomfortable. It wasn't often that the atmosphere between the small family was so solemn and every time it was, it didn't mean something good. Whatever their uncle wanted to tell them, he wouldn't do lightly, which meant that someone of the guild would be endangered or already was in danger.

"Indeed. Do you remember when I talked to you about the Assassins' Brotherhood?" The twins nodded hesitantly.

"Their mentor Al Mualim has requested help of us."

Ranya thought her uncle must be joking. The assassins were very capable of providing for themselves. Even though Ranya had never seen one of them, or at least she believed she had never seen an assassin, she often heard on the quiet how someone important was murdered by someone with a lot of skill, which meant that it couldn't have been your average murderer.

"Why would they need our help?", she asked then.

"They could probably do well without us, but I have been in close correspondence with Al Mualim lately. I've thought about closer alliance for quite some time and he doesn't seem very reluctant to that idea. In fact, I have had some of you complete missions for them for a few months. It was a test of some sort, he wanted first-hand proof of what we're capable of."

Ranya wasn't sure what to think about this. Normally people couldn't surprise her much as she usually knew what was up with everyone. That their uncle had kept something this important from them however was very unexpected.

"And what do they want us to do?", Ilyas asked.

"They want you to retrieve an artifact. I mentioned sometime that you, Rani, had been in Solomon's temple and that you have knowledge of some of the secret tunnels there. He believes that the artifact that he seeks is somewhere in there." Ranya knit her brows. She had been in the temple a few years ago on an exploration tour. The thieves weren't sure who had built their underground hideout, but they believed it was built around the same time as the temple. It might have served as a treasury or an escape underground route, but they had found no documentary proof. That had been Ranya's mission then, retrieving all existing information about their hideout and make sure it couldn't fall into anyone else's hands.

"The temple is currently occupied. Only a fool would dare to go there without more information", Ilyas noted.

"That is why you won't go alone. Al Mualim will send some of his men with you to ensure your safety and that the mission won't go wrong."

"Are you sure that's not a trap?", Ranya questioned.

"They are criminals, just as we are. With the current situation, I am not sure how long we can live as we did before. The war is gnawing on everyone, you cannot tell me you haven't noticed."

It was true. There weren't only the city guards that the thieves had to be cautious about. There were also crusaders even though the city was under saracen influence at the moment. The saracen regent, Majd Addin, wasn't very concerned about his citizens, which meant that the poor only became poorer and there weren't many rich people to steal from left. There were certainly some more or less wealthy crusaders in the city, but it wasn't easy to find them, even for the guild and it wasn't their intention to take anything from the poor. All of them have been poor before their joining and had lived on the street or worse. Through denunciations and forgery the guild had tried numerous times to disempower corrupt officials. But there had been no improvement. With the crusaders came also other factions, one of them being templars who were knights with big red crosses on their armor. They were more dangerous than most of the saracens or other crusaders, as they had enjoyed a thorough education and were impossible to strike down if faced in combat. Not even their best swordsmen, who were Ismail and Ilyas, would dare to fight them. All in all, the situation was bad, even though one might not notice in the Vault.

"I understand. What am I going to do?", Ranya asked. Ismail smiled. He seemed to be glad that he didn't have to argue with her, as it was sometimes the case.

"You and your brother will ride to their fortress. Al Mualim wants to see you personally. I told him that you are a woman and he doesn't seem to be doubtful of your abilities, but I will not send you alone. The roads are dangerous these times and since I have never been in Masyaf as well, I think it is best if you have someone to watch your back. I do not know if he will allow both of you to go on the mission and in case he does not, I want you, Ilyas, to stay in their fortress and wait for your sister's return."

Ilyas nodded in approval. "What about Soraya?", he asked.

"Oh, I don't think she will be a problem. You can take her with you and if the assassins have something against her, you can surely let her roam the area. As for the mission, Al Mualim will inform you about everything. He wouldn't send the details with a messenger pigeon. And you, Ilyas, can see whatever you can find out about our new friends." The twins nodded in response.

"Now off we go, I think Hannah will kill us if we miss dinner."


	2. The Assassins

_Chapter 2: The Assassins_

It wasn't often that Ranya and Ilyas would leave Jerusalem together. Their uncle usually wanted one of them to stay in the city, but it wasn't often that they had business elsewhere than in Jerusalem. Even though the guild had a little more than sixty members their reach didn't go farer than that. Their organization was two decades old, but apparently that wasn't enough for them to grow and expand. She had no idea how old the brotherhood that they were heading to might be, but seeing as they had a greater reputation, they will probably have been around for much longer. Aside from that they had their own village and castle which spoke for itself. She was growing nervous. She had set off with her brother twelve days before. According to their plan they should have arrived there by midday, but patrolling saracens and crusaders had complicated their journey.

"You're sure we're still on the right path?", Ilyas inquired.

He had been steadily riding beside her on his brown mare, Amira. She was as sweet-tempered as her owner and was easy to like. Ranya couldn't say that her own black stallion, who went by the name Nero, was an aggressive animal, but he surely wasn't as easy to handle as Amira. Soraya was trotting alongside Nero and would sometimes run a little ahead only to let herself fall back eventually.

"As far as I can tell we're still on the right way. I just hope we'll arrive today, I do not want to spend another day in the dirt." Her brother nodded but didn't reply anything.

They had been riding alongside great stone-cliffs for the last few hours and if Al Mualim hadn't been lying on how to find Masyaf, they must be on the right track. She couldn't wait to find the village and finally get rid of her clothing. Even though it was spring it was too hot to ride at day time with dark clothes. As usual she was wearing tight trousers made out of a light, dark fabric and armor made out of dark leather with a lot of pockets and buckles that were made for storing things quickly. Underneath she wore a matching tunic so that the leather wouldn't irritate her skin too much. On top of all of that she had a dark colored cloak that hid her armor and weapons that were attached to it. As she wasn't skilled with a sword, she had two daggers and a few throwing knives, her bow and quiver were secured on Nero's saddle. The cloak was also equipped with a hood, but whenever she was on a burglary, she didn't bring that obstructive piece of clothing. That was why she had another hood that she had attached to her armor. The fabric that was hanging off the hood's end was bound around her breast and back so that it wouldn't hinder her and could be pulled up if it was cold. Her brother and most of the other thieves wore similar clothes.

"Hey, Rani, I think we are being watched", Ilyas said. She looked over to him who pointed upwards with his head. On top of the cliff she could indeed see a white shape.

"We are close, then", she replied. They followed the cliff path further until they had those rocky walls to both sides of their path. Ranya felt uneasy. Should one of the guards decide they were enemies they wouldn't stand much of a chance. Their arrows would have pierced them before they could escape, let alone fight back. Clever, she thought. If that was the only road that led to Masyaf the Assassins could easily fight off any intruders.

It didn't take them long to arrive at the great wooden gates that were, if closed, a dead end to this cliff path.

"Should we dismount?", Ilyas asked. Ranya nodded. She wasn't sure if they would take it as an offense if they entered the city on their horses. The guards on the gate examined them and especially Soraya but didn't say anything so the twins and their feline companion entered. They didn't have long to wonder what to do as they were immediately greeted by a bearded Assassin.

"You must be our friends from the thieves guild. Al Mualim instructed me to welcome you and lead you to him. My name is Rauf." He grinned broadly as if he was greeting two old friends, not complete strangers.

"A pleasure to meet you, Rauf. I am Ilyas and that is my sister, Ranya." She could see the surprise forming on the Assassin's face. She had been covering her head and due to the sand had also pulled up her piece of cloth that masked her face up to her nose. She pulled the mask down but let the hood cover her head.

Noticing that nobody would continue the conversation, Ilyas asked where they should bring their horses.

"Oh, of course, please follow me to the stables", Rauf said in haste as he eyed Soraya, but didn't say anything.

They turned right and could immediately see the paddock which was in front of the wooden stables. A few horses could be seen and Ranya wondered if they would be enough for all Assassins. If so there couldn't be many of them.

"Most of our horses are currently on a willow an hour away from here in the rather mountainous area. These are by far not all", Rauf answered her thoughts. "Why would you have them so far away?", Ilyas asked.

"We usually have five horses here that have no primary owner, in case someone needs to leave Masyaf urgently. The other horses belong to Assassins that will need them in the next few days or that have just returned to Masyaf and not had the time to bring them to the willow yet."

Two young boys, maybe twelve years old each, approached them and asked for their horses' reins. Ranya could see the excitement forming on their faces as they saw Soraya behind her, but they didn't make a move to approach the cheetah. They asked for special requests regarding the twins' horses, but neither Nero nor Amira had any special needs. "But be careful, Nero becomes nervous quickly in confined space and doesn't like it when you approach him any way but from the front." The boy who she gave Nero's rein to nodded and went off with the other boy and Amira.

"Now that this is taken care off, I am to bring you to Al Mualim", Rauf said and went ahead to show them the way.

Ranya discovered quickly that Masyaf consisted more or less of three levels. They had just been in the first level where the gates and the stables along with houses and small gathering places for people were. There was also a bigger well right at the entrance and Ranya knew from Jerusalem that wells were meeting points for women. She would often see them chat there and gossip about all sorts of things. She sometimes imagined how in another reality she might have been one of those women. They had uneventful lives, but safer all the way. She couldn't picture herself with a jug in one hand and an infant on her hip.

Soraya was trotting alongside her and kept close as she was receiving a lot of alarmed glances from villagers. Some women stepped back in shock as soon as they saw the big cat.

The second level was what Ranya assumed the most lively part of the village. There was a greater gathering place where she could see robed men and some women chatting or busy with other things. There were also some merchants that sold pots, fabrics, food and other stuff that the villagers needed. From here Ranya could already see the colossus that was the fortress of the Assassins. They went uphill to the third level, on which were houses as well, but there was also the entrance to the fortress. Ranya felt uncomfortable and made sure that her daggers were in their right place under her cloak as they went through the open passage. Right in front of them was a smaller cliff on which she could see some guards. At the foot of the cliff were also some Assassins that observed them. She was surprised that no one had stopped them because of Soraya. The path led left around the cliff and upwards, on their left they could see how high the mountain was and how deep the fall would be if they misplaced their feet. As they reached the gate to the fortress, Ranya could see a watchtower to her right that was standing on the hill that carried the fortress.

She was immediately in awe when they entered the castle. The front yard was huge. There was a battle ring on the left side and on the right side of it was a path that led upwards to the castle and also to a tower that must be leading to the battlements. The clashing of swords could be heard throughout the yard as Assassins trained. She could also see some hay dummies that served as target practice for archery. However, she didn't have time to take a closer look as they were continuing their way towards the entrance of the fortress. The first hall was what she would call a library. A giant staircase was right in front of them and separated at the end of the room into two sets of stairs. She could also see a door at the end of the hall, behind which was a garden area, but she didn't have enough time to marvel at the colorful flowers. They followed the stairs and Ranya could already see the open bureau at the end of the room. There was a giant window at that wall which must allow the Assassins' mentor to have an overshadowing look at the front yard. His bureau was flanked with shelves filled with books and scrolls. Ranya saw an old man with a long white beard behind a desk on which scrolls and papers were laying unorganizedly. With their backs to Ranya, her brother and Rauf were three white robed men who immediately turned around when they heard them coming from the side of the bureau.

"Al Mualim, may I introduce you to our guests from Jerusalem, the thieves Ranya and Ilyas." Rauf nodded towards his three brothers and then smiled encouragingly to the thieves. He then left the bureau.

"Welcome to Masyaf, Ranya and Ilyas. Your reputation precedes you. Your uncle has told me much of your skills that I hope will support our brotherhood. And he also told me of your noble companion. She is as majestic as Ismail had described her. But let me introduce you to my students. These are Malik, his brother Kadar and Altaïr."

She examined the men who would accompany her into the temple. They were all wearing similar robes, all were white with a big leathern belt and a sash underneath. While Malik and Kadar wore white robes, Kadar had also grey mixed into the white clothing. She assumed that had something to do with the Assassins' ranks. Malik and his brother had their hood down, whereas she couldn't see much of Altaïr's face. Noticing that her brother had pulled his hood down too along the way, she decided it might give off a better impression if she didn't mask herself. In one move she pulled down her hood to reveal her brown curled hair that she had pinned up in a braid around her head. Ranya looked for any signs of shock on the Assassins' face, as she had now also revealed her grotesque scars, that went in diagonal stripes over her left brow and over her nose. She had those scars thanks to Soraya, but she couldn't blame the big cat, it was Ranya who had been careless.

"I hope the journey was well for you. The roads do become more and more dangerous these days." Al Mualim skimmed over his beard as if he was in deep thinking, but his eyes stayed fixed on the thieves. His right eye was white, an indication that he had been blinded, probably due to a battle wound. The same fate had thankfully been spared for Ranya, as Soraya had not hurt her eye in the accident that had left the thief's face scarred.

"We met no serious troubles on our way. Traveling with a cheetah usually scares bandits or other evildoers away", Ilyas replied.

"So I would say as well. You must be tired however, so I will not bother you any longer with unnecessary talk. The reason why you are here is that I want to have an artefact retrieved. I do trust my students, but I need to make sure that this mission does not fail at any cost. Your uncle might have told you that we were thinking about a closer alliance for quite some time and this will be the first step into such a relationship.

"Ranya, you have been in Solomon's temple once, you know some of the tunnels and secret passages. An advantage that none of my students nor I myself have. I cannot tell where exactly the artefact is, but I suspect that it must be somewhere under this part. Please have a look at my map."

Ranya went forward to his desk and looked at the sketched map that showed the upper buildings, or what was still left of it. He pointed at what used to be a bigger tower. Ranya remembered that part of the temple. "May I?", she asked and pointed at the quill. "Please", the mentor responded. The other Assassins and Ilyas gathered around the desk as Ranya began to draw the hidden passages onto the paper. "This tunnel's entrance has been shut in the past, but there is another way, albeit a less comfortable one. There is a smaller tunnel that can be reached through here." She drew another tunnel that led to the northern side of the mountain on which the temple stood. "We would have to climb up there."

"That will be no problem", Al Mualim said. "You will leave tomorrow morning by sunrise, the stable boys will have your horses ready and will have also packed something for you to eat and drink." It was then that Ranya remembered they had forgotten their bags on their horses' saddles. They would have to go all the way down and up again.

"Ilyas, your uncle sent me an owl today that you would wait in Masyaf for your sister's return. My students are honorable men and you can trust them that they will protect your sister. Your uncle also told me that you are very skilled with a sword, so I thought it would be beneficial if you could show my novices some of your abilities." Ilyas nodded. "It would be an honour."

"Are there any questions left?", Al Mualim asked.

"The temple is currently occupied, by whom we do not know, probably some saracen troops. Do you have information about how many of them might currently be in the temple?", Ranya asked.

"Sadly, none of our informants could give us this information. I lay my whole trust in your hands and I am sure, that none of you will disappoint me."

Ranya had hoped for more input, but there was no way to find anything out before they entered the temple. She hoped that Al Mualim hadn't put his trust in the wrong hands.

Soraya had sat down at the railing opposite of the desk where one could look down at the library. She watched them curiously.

"You can decide what to do with your cheetah. I promise that no harm will come to her if she stays in Masyaf with your brother, as long as she doesn't harm anyone", Al Mualim spoke.

"I will discuss this with my brother", Ranya said.

"Very well then, you are dismissed. Kadar will show you your room." The twins nodded and followed the younger Assassin. He led them through a door next to the mentor's bureau behind which was a long corridor that went right and followed the buildings structure towards the garden that Ranya had seen earlier. She suspected they were on the second level here and that there was an entrance through the gardens or maybe from the front yard as well. They didn't have to walk very far, as their room was the first one, which was closest to the bureau. Kadar opened the wooden door and let them enter the room. Soraya was the first and jumped directly onto one of the cots.

"These are the best rooms here, but since we don't get to have a lot of visitors, they're mostly unoccupied. Even the master Assassins don't have such nice rooms." His complaining voice made Ranya smile. "Do all of you live in the fortress?", she asked.

Kadar shook his head. "Only those of us that don't have a family in the village. Malik and I live with our parents down there." She nodded.

"Is there anything else you need?", he asked. Ranya had already spotted food and carafe on a table, so she didn't need to ask for dinner.

"No thank you, we will be fine", Ranya said and Kadar nodded and went off after he had wished them a good night.

"Now dear sister, have we ever enjoyed such luxury?", Ilyas asked as he took a piece of bread and ate it. They had also put some bulgur in a bowl for them.

"Well, nowhere outside the Vault, that's certain."

Together they ate and discussed the events. "I think the Assassins that you go with are quite okay. Kadar seems to be nice and I think his brother will not be much different. I'm not sure about the other one, Altaïr. I think after you had put your hood down he should have done they same. It was rude of him to cover his face." Ranya agreed with him.

They decided that Soraya would stay in the fortress with Ilyas. Ranya would be protected by the Assassins and she didn't want to leave Ilyas behind without any company. "It's not like I'm alone. Rauf is also nice, I will try to find him while you are away. It's always good to have some friends." His sister nodded and threw a piece of bread to Soraya.

"I have some food for her in my bag, but I left it with Nero. I will go down and bring it."

"Do you want me to come with you? I need my bag as well."

They took Soraya with them and left the fortress. On their way through the village, they met Rauf, however. "Is something amiss?", the Assassin asked.

"No, everything is fine, we just forgot to bring our bags. We left them with the horses", Ilyas replied.

"Oh yes, the stable boys will have probably put them away with the saddles. I am not sure if there are still some stable boys as it is getting dark. I can join you if you want to and show you where we store our gear."

The twins accepted his help and followed him to the stables. Seeing Amira and Nero on the paddock, Ranya halted to pet the horses. "You can wait here with your cheetah if you want to, I am afraid she might scare the horses that are currently inside." Ranya agreed and so Ilyas and Rauf went into the stables. Meanwhile Ranya petted Amira's head. "Nero, you better take care of her", the thief said to her stallion. He bowed his head as if to show her he understood her command.

"You must be the female thief that everyone is gossiping about." Ranya turned around to another Assassin. He was wearing a beard like Rauf.

"And you must be the Assassin that I've never heard of", she countered. It had come off more rude than she had intended so she smiled to show him she was only joking. She could see his white teeth as he grinned

"My name is Abbas Sofian", he introduced himself.

"And you already know who I am." He hadn't stopped smiling and she felt somewhat uncomfortable.

"There are rumors that the old man of the mountain wants to join our forces with the infamous thieves guild."

"So I've heard." A cold shiver ran down her spine as he was approaching her until he was standing right in front of her and she had to look up to him. Soraya was growling next to her, but Ranya made a move with her hand that silenced her friend. Behind her she could hear Nero and Amira becoming restless. They noticed the tense atmosphere between the humans.

"All I want is to warn you. If you harm the brotherhood in any way, be it jeopardizing your mission or if I notice your brother prying around …"

They were interrupted by a voice. "Leave her in peace, Abbas." They both turned to look at the person. It was an Assassin, unsurprisingly, but Ranya didn't know who as she hadn't heard his voice before. He came closer and it was then that she realized it was Altaïr. The men glared at each other for some tense moments, but finally Abbas retreated and left the scene without saying anything more.

Ranya wasn't sure how far Abbas would have gone, but she couldn't imagine that he would have seriously harmed her as that would backfire at his precious brotherhood. But she had felt intimidated since her only way of defense were her daggers which couldn't do much against a sword. Then there was also Soraya, but the thief didn't like the idea of her friend getting hurt by a blade. "Thank you", she said.

He nodded in response. He didn't have his hood down and she would have loved to see his expression, but she would have to rely on her imagination. "Did he hurt you?", he asked. His voice was demanding and cold, but she didn't feel threatened by him. "No. I think he just wanted to scare me."

"I doubt he would try to harm you with your cheetah nearby, but I'd advise you to not travel alone at dawn in Masyaf."

"Oh I'm not alone. My brother and one of your brothers are inside."

As if they had heard that, they stepped out of the stables with bags in their hands. Ranya could see the question arising on her brother's face, but she shook her head to tell him everything was okay. Rauf greeted his brother heartily.

"Anyway, I came to look for my horse, if you'll excuse me." Altaïr left the scene and entered the stables. His horse must be inside then, not on the paddock.

Rauf accompanied them to the third level, where he lived with his family and bid them goodbye. Back in their room, Ranya fed Soraya who apparently wanted to sleep on Ranya's bed after her dinner.

"What were you and Altaïr talking about?", Ilyas said. Ranya heard in his voice that he sensed something had been wrong.

"There was another Assassin, he introduced himself as Abbas Sofian. He threatened me. He warned us that we better not harm the brotherhood. He particularly pointed out that he doesn't want you prying around."

Ilyas nodded as if he had suspected something like that. "I wish I had come sooner, but you won't believe how unorganized that place is."

"He just wanted to scare me. I don't think that he would actually hurt us, but be careful when I'm away."

"Will do, I still have my sword and Soraya." She smiled and looked back at her feline friend who was already fast asleep on Ranya's cot.

"It seems, dear sister, that you will have to sleep on the ground." Her brother laughed loudly, but Soraya didn't even lift her head. Ranya tried to push her away to get more space, but the big cat wouldn't be moved. The thief decided that she will just have to make herself as small as possible. Hopefully, Soraya will leave sometime at night. "Goodnight, brother."

"Goodnight, Rani."

* * *

Altaïr petted Antar's side as he treated an almost healed wound of his stallion. They had been fleeing from saracen guards and as Antar had jumped over a fence he had somehow injured himself on his stomach. There had probably been some wood sticking out of the fence that they hadn't seen. Altaïr always visited his horse either in the early hours before sunrise or later in the evening when there weren't many people left in the stables that could cause distress for Antar. Some Assassins said that his stallion was aggressive, like his owner, some would add, but in reality Antar became nervous quite easily which often resulted in him kicking or trying to break free. His horse was as white as his robes, the exact opposite of the thief's horse. He had noticed the female thief as she had been standing at the paddock, next to her the cheetah and she had talked to two of the horses. Altaïr assumed that the black horse was hers, but then there had also been a brown mare. One of them must belong to the thief's brother.

Anyway, he had waited in the shadow of a house for her to go away, but then he had spotted Abbas approaching her. Abbas and Altaïr used to be friends until one day when they came into a fight that brought them into Masyaf's cells for one month. After that they hadn't talked much with each other, as their mentor had also punished Abbas by extending his Assassin training by a year.

Not wanting to cross his path with Abbas, Altaïr had stayed hidden. He had been too far away to hear what they were talking about, but seeing how the cheetah had tensed up he knew that Abbas was trying to threaten their guest. He didn't really know why, there was no threat coming from the thieves. As far as he knew the female one didn't even carry a sword. Her cheetah might be more dangerous, but Altaïr didn't think she would order the animal to harm anyone in Masyaf.

It was then that the Assassin decided to step in and send Abbas away. She still had had her hood down and Altaïr had been able to have a closer look at her face. The scars were very prominent and he was sure they must have hurt like hell. He assumed that the scars must have come from an animal, maybe even her own pet.

Altaïr had been quite surprised as she had thanked him for stepping in. She didn't look like a woman who couldn't stand up to men that threatened her.

The Assassin couldn't say that he wasn't interested in the woman's abilities, after all the brotherhood didn't take woman in and he was looking forward to see how good a thief she actually was. He and his brothers had been quite surprised when their mentor had told them that they would be accompanied by another person, they didn't really need help after all, although her knowledge of the temple could come in handy but Altaïr was confident that they would succeed without her help as well. Altaïr assumed that the mission was less about profiting from the thief's knowledge but more about testing her abilities and using the services of the guild.

Al Mualim had told them that he wants the brotherhood to have closer ties to the guild. Altaïr wasn't sure what to think about that. Surely, even he had heard about the thieves that lived somewhere in Jerusalem but were impossible to find. With an alliance the brotherhood could strengthen their forces in Jerusalem and the guild could profit from the Assassins' protection.

Be that as it may, Altaïr was sure he would see the value of such an alliance in the next days.

* * *

 **A/N:** The armor that the thieves are wearing is somehow inspired by what Garrett from the game Thief wears. Just imagine that outfit whenever the thieves are wearing their regular clothing.


	3. Solomon's Temple

**A/N:** TW: gore and mentions of rape, but I guess you didn't come here to read about flowers

* * *

 _Chapter 3: Solomon's Temple_

The daily life began early in Masyaf. Not long after Ilyas and Soraya had said goodbye to Ranya he could spot the first women carrying clay pots. Except for all the white robed Assassins, Masyaf could look like any other village. And if there wasn't a giant fortress overshadowing the whole town.

Ranya would be back in less than a month, Ilyas guessed, if everything went smoothly. He trusted his sister would avoid any conflict so maybe their mission would take a bit longer if she decided to wait the trouble out. And if the Assassins would follow her advice.

The thief and the cheetah began their way upwards back into the castle and he was surprised to see Rauf who was sitting in front of a house with a small child in front of him.

"Ilyas! Good morning! May I introduce Amala to you", he said. The little girl who was probably not older than five years turned around and looked at him curiously.

She had big brown eyes and a few freckles adorning her cheeks and nose. She wore a dress that probably used to be a lighter shade of beige, but it had dirt all over it. After having examined the thief for a few moments, Amala noticed the big cat next Ilyas. She stared with wide eyes at the dangerous animal and whispered something into the Assassin's ear.

"Do you think that your friend would allow Amala to pet her?", Rauf asked finally. The thief smiled and nodded at the little girl. He approached them with Soraya in tow and bowed down to show Amala how to touch the cheetah.

"Soraya likes it when you caress her head." Ilyas demonstrated what he said and Soraya purred in reply. The little girl raised her hand and petted the cheetah's head together with the thief. Soraya's purrs grew in volume and she leaned in to the girl's touches which made Amala giggle loudly. "She likes you", Ilyas said and stood up.

Rauf watched them with a smile but they were interrupted by a female voice from inside the house that called for the girl.

"Go inside and help your mother, Amala", Rauf said as she wouldn't make a move to follow the woman's command.

The girl pouted but left them after petting the animal one last time. Before she entered the house she halted however. "Goodbye, Lias!"

Ilyas smiled at her. "Your daughter?", he asked Rauf.

"Oh no, she is my sister's daughter. She, her husband, little Amala, my younger brother and l all live in this house with my parents."

"Aren't you married?", Ilyas asked curiously. The Assassin laughed and shook his head. "No, I'm not. I don't think that poor excuse of a house could harbor any more people. Has your sister already left for Jerusalem?", he asked after a short pause. The thief nodded. "I was just on my way back to the fortress."

Rauf grinned. "Perfect. I just wanted to go as well."

* * *

Ranya became more relaxed as they neared the holy city. It wasn't that she didn't feel safe with the Assassins - in the last twelve days she had come to like them. The brothers at least. Altaïr wouldn't engage in any conversation and as they would make camp for the night he had usually been the first to lie down. And since it had never been her who had to wake him for his night watch she hardly had any interaction with him at all.

Seeing the strong walls of Jerusalem again eased her mind. She knew that all calmness was just feigned and that there was no peace to be found in any city if you weren't a citizen with a meaningful name who supported whoever was in control of said city. From the mountain path that the thief and the Assassin were now slowly descending on their horses, Ranya could see some merchants that were trying to sell their goods on either side of the way. There were also some traders right in front of the city gates. Her uncle had explained to her why they would linger out there instead of trading behind the protecting walls. A permission just to get into the city was quite expensive these days due to the crusades that must cost the saracens a fortune. An allowance for trading goods if you weren't a citizen of the city was even more expensive - the salesmen either paid it or gave more or less two-thirds of their goods to the saracen regime. It wasn't surprising that the traders instead made camp in front of the cities where they didn't have to give as much. However, the guards would do nothing if the merchants are to be robbed or mistreated in any other way.

The guild has agreed on not stealing from those less fortunate merchants. Even some of those that could afford a way into the city were sometimes undoubtedly desperate - some of them would give whatever they had gladly to get behind the city walls.

Ranya wondered how they might get into the city. She would of course always use the secret tunnels but that was not an option with her companions. They brought their horses to the stables and then gathered in front of the gates.

"Al Mualim told me there was an informant that would bring us into the city. So far I have not seen him and I suggest we wait here for him", Altaïr spoke and they agreed to spend their wait in the shadows of the grand walls of the holy city. They didn't need to linger there long, however, as a white robed figure neared them and quietly spoke to Altaïr. Ranya couldn't understand their conversation but the master Assassin soon told them to give the stranger their weapons. Ranya did so without asking any questions, but she made sure to give the man some distrustful glances. She didn't know where he brought their weapons as he disappeared in the crowd that had gathered around the spartan market place. Not much later the man came back and motioned for them to follow him. He lead them to the gates and spoke with one of the guards. It took him a few minutes to explain whatever lie it needed to convince the guard of them not being a threat to the peace of the city. Ranya wondered whether this was the first time she had entered through the gates. If it wasn't she couldn't remember.

It didn't take long for them to get back their weapons but in the time they had to wait, Kadar told Ranya that this was actually the first time he was in Jerusalem. He added that this was also his first mission. "They wait so long for you to finish your education?", Ranya asked disbelievingly. Kadar couldn't be much younger than she was, and she was an expert on thievery as a result of many years of practice.

"I am feeling quite honored that my first mission is such an important one. Not many get to go with two other Assassins let alone a master", he replied and glanced at said Assassin for a brief moment.

"And will you get some sort of rank after this mission?", she asked. He nodded in approval. "I will be granted the rank of an Assassin which I have been trained for since I was five."

"Five!", Ranya exclaimed but she didn't get the chance of inquiring further as the informant came back with a carriage and a salesman. The salesman had stored their weapons in a secret storage underneath his carriage for which he could have been hanged, Ranya supposed. She wondered whether the brotherhood paid him well enough to risk his life or whether they intimidated him enough. Either way, he didn't look very joyful as the informant pulled out their weapons and handed them back to them. The informant shared another whispered conversation with Altaïr and then wished all of them good luck before he disappeared in the crowds and contorted alleys of Jerusalem.

Quietly the group headed for Solomon's temple.

* * *

The group of four made slow progress underneath the temple in its tunnels. Even though Ranya could remember every tunnel that she had once walked through they sometimes had to revert and start anew from a certain point. There were many tunnels that lead to the remaining heart of the temple, but as it seemed quakes or erosions had changed the tunnel system that Ranya had memorised.

"I do not know how big our time frame is, but I suggest we move faster or else the artefact will be lost to us", Altaïr spoke up from beside her. They had walked alongside each other since they had entered the tunnels because even though she was their guide through the tunnels, he was still their mission leader and thus took his right at their front. She deemed it unnecessary as the paths were quite narrow at some parts and because none of them would give up their front position - he was too arrogant to leave his position for her and she was too stubborn to give him directions from behind him - they sometimes had to walk very close to each other. He annoyed her to no end as he wouldn't even move a muscle to give her some space and to avoid touching his arm all the time as they were walking, she more or less became one with the wall.

It wasn't long after that that Ranya felt they have gotten quite close to their destination. Soon they would find a supposed dead end, but she knew that above their heads was the part of the temple that they needed to break into. They were just walking around a corner as she was suddenly pulled back by the arm and almost crashed into the wall if she hadn't found her footing again. She realized it had been Altaïr who had grabbed her arm and who was now charging around the corner with fast and quiet steps.

Questioningly she looked back at her other companions but she found no answer in their faces. Malik was the first to follow the master Assassin and he let out a shocked gasp that almost covered the thud of a body falling to the ground. Almost.

She went around the corner to see an old man who wore civilian clothes. She wondered what business a citizen might have down here but she strongly agreed with Malik who was infuriated with the ‛master' Assassin.

"There should have been another way!", he said angrily.

"An excellent kill. Fortune favors your blade." Next to her, Kadar had caught up with them and complimented Altaïr. Ranya saw Malik frowning at his little brother who seemed oblivious to the tense atmosphere.

"Not fortune, skill. Watch a while longer and you might learn something." Ranya knew it wasn't her place to criticize the Assassin's actions no matter how much she disapproved. Her uncle would be utterly disappointed if the relation to the brotherhood would shatter because she didn't agree with their methods. They were Assassins after all. However, the shocked face of the old man made a cold shiver run down her spine. He could have been someone's father or grandfather even. Maybe a family will wait in vain this night for his return.

"Indeed. He'll teach you how to disregard everything the master's taught us", Malik spit out.

"And how would you have done it?", Altaïr asked more calmly.

"I would not have drawn attention to us. I would not have taken the life of an innocent." Malik gestured wildly with his arms. "What I would have done is follow the creed!"

"‛Nothing is true, everything is permitted.' Understand these words."

Ranya was curious about their creed. What did these cryptic words mean? How were the Assassins supposed to act?

"It doesn't matter how we complete our task. Only that it is done", Altaïr said. His voice didn't leave any room for discussion.

"But this is not the way -" Malik was rudely interrupted.

"My way is better." Malik fell silent. Even though Altaïr was clearly at fault there was no way to have a proper discussion. Ranya felt somewhat embarrassed that she had to witness this scene as a stranger to the brotherhood. Altaïr had rudely exposed Malik in front of her and she really wanted to speak up, to give Malik backup, but she decided that would only make matters worse. Malik admitted his defeat and so they quietly decided to drop the topic. "Search him. He might have something useful on him." Altaïr looked at her as he finished his sentence, but she didn't have the heart to dishonor this old man further. Kadar kneeled down and sifted through his pockets but found nothing. They moved on and after some minutes they found the dead end that Ranya had remembered.

Against the high wall rested a ladder. "Someone must be near", Ranya whispered. Altaïr climbed up first. They waited for him to signal them that it was safe to follow. It took him some moments so Ranya guessed that someone must have stood guard nearby and the master Assassin must have taken care of him. She saw the corpse immediately after she had climbed up the ladder.

"A red cross? What would a Templar in full gear do here? This city is governed by saracens", Ranya questioned.

"We shall see", Altaïr murmured and lead them on. They stepped through what looked like a portal and found themselves in a smaller hall that was hold upright by wooden frameworks. From their platform the group had an overlooking view over the whole room. Opposite them they saw a rather big casket made out of gold. Ranya couldn't exactly tell how big it was as it was too far away but she supposed it must be as big as herself.

"Is this the Ark of the Covenant?", Kadar asked in awe.

"Don't be silly. There's no such thing. It's just a story", Altaïr answered. Underneath the casket was a door that was suddenly pushed open. A few men entered. They were all wearing the red cross of the Templar order. The tallest one of them, a bald man with a cape seemed to be their leader. He spoke to them in French and sadly Ranya couldn't understand what they were talking about. However, she thought she had heard ‛Masyaf' in their conversation. The Templars were gathering around a table on which scrolls and maps were spread out.

"Robert de Sable! His life is mine!", Altaïr announced.

"No! We can't attack them!", Ranya exclaimed. She didn't have any combat weapons on her and even if she had they would be of no use for her. She was no fighter. "We wait until they leave", she suggested.

"And risk our only chance of retrieving the artefact?"

"Altaïr, we were not tasked with an Assassination, we should only deal with Robert if necessary", Malik tried to persuade him.

"He stands between us and it, I'd say its necessary." Altaïr's voice was calm and determined which frightened Ranya. Malik would again fail to appease Altaïr.

"Discretion, Altaïr!"

"You mean cowardice. That man is our enemy and here we have a chance to be rid of him."

Malik wouldn't surrender so easily. "You have already broken two tenets of our creed. Now you would break the third. Do not compromise the brotherhood!"

This exclamation clearly angered the master Assassin. "I am your superior, in both title and ability. You should know better than to question me." With that, he turned around and almost crashed into Ranya. Remembering that she didn't have any combat weapon he grabbed the short sword from his back and handed it to her without a word. He began climbing down a ladder that lead right into the lion's den.

"This is madness", Ranya whispered as she eyed the weapon in her hand. She attached it to her belt and followed after Malik and Kadar.

Ranya's heart pounded in her ears and she wished she could make herself invisible. She stood behind Malik in an attempt to hide herself. Altaïr addressed the Templars in French and then in a matter of seconds he lunged forward and attacked Robert with the blade that the Assassins carry on their underarm. Robert easily countered the blow and grabbed the master Assassin by his arms. Altaïr tried to stab him repeatedly, but Robert only laughed at his attempts. In a taunting voice he spoke to Altaïr and then, just like that, as if the Assassin weighed nothing, he threw him through one of the frameworks that crashed down behind Altaïr and cut him off from the rest of them.

Ranya and the brothers drew their swords as some more Templars came rushing in, alarmed by the loud crash.

"And what have we here", Robert said so that Ranya could understand him. His french accent was heavy. "Since when do the Assassins train women? Kill the men and before you kill her, you may have some fun with her."

Ranya's heart sank into the ground underneath her. That would be it. There was no way the three - or rather two of them - would defeat six Templars. She could try to escape through the way they had come, but right now she couldn't even move. And even though she was a criminal, she couldn't live with herself if she would abandon Malik and Kadar. To be honest, the Templars' arrows would have pierced her before she would have had the chance to climb up the ladders.

Kadar and Malik wasted no time fighting the Templars off after Robert had left the scene. Ranya slowly retreated but that didn't go unnoticed by their enemies. Two of them approached her and the thief lifted her sword in an attempt to look threatening. She might have laughed if she would have seen herself. She was no challenge for the Templars as they wrestled her to the ground. One of them was thrown back by either Malik or Kadar and she heard a deafening cry but she didn't have time to register what had happened as the remaining Templar was pushing her down with his whole weight. He had taken the sword from her and so she tried to grab one of her daggers. To her misfortune the Templar noticed what she was doing and with his foot he pinned her wrist to the ground. With his hand he choked her and she tried to loosen his grip on her throat with her free hand. All her attempts were in vain and so she bit his arm with all her power. The Templar cried out and slapped her with his unharmed hand. Ranya tried to push him off her, but empowered by his rage he pushed her down harder and even though she had managed to grab the short sword he quickly directed her weapon against her. He would cut her throat, she was sure. She wasn't weak but in this position she had no chance of overpowering him. She felt the blade slowly cutting into the soft flesh of her throat as he was yanked away from her. Desperately she gasped for air and touched her hurting throat. On her hands was some blood, but the blade hadn't cut deep and it hadn't been nowhere near anything vital. Her left wrist hurt but she managed to get up to help the Assassins.

What she saw was a massacre. The Templars were wearing white robes, which were now stained with blood and gaping wounds. Malik was fighting against her attacker and she could see that he was badly hurt. His whole left arm was a crimson mess and she wasted no more time and grabbed the short sword that had fallen to the ground as the Templar had been pulled from her. With all remaining power in her she stabbed out into the back of the Templar. To increase the blood loss she yanked the sword out of him and after one final blow from Malik he fell to the ground.

"Where is Kadar?", Ranya asked. They would tend to Malik's wounds as soon as they were safe. She had no idea whether there were more Templars coming their way as they were standing there and she wasn't particular keen on finding out. They began to search the fallen bodies for Malik's brother. It didn't take them long to find him. "No", Malik whispered almost inaudibly. "No! NO!"

Kadar's throat was a gaping mess, his death must have been instant. He was staring up to the ceiling with a surprised, almost innocent look. Malik fell to his knees and wept for his brother. Ranya felt vomit coming at the back of her throat and she quickly turned around to empty the contents of her stomach.

While she was hunched over, Malik closed his brother's eyes and pulled himself together. He was wounded and couldn't carry the corpse of his dear baby brother. He wanted to kneel beside Ranya and join in to her vomiting as he thought about leaving Kadar's body with the Templars who would probably defile his body in unspeakable ways to humiliate the brotherhood.

He shook himself out of his thoughts. He could weep when they were safe. He stood up with a quiet whimper. His left arm seemed to be more severely injured than he had thought. Anyway, he had to get Ranya and himself out of there.

He laid his uninjured hand on her shoulder. The sour smell of vomit bit its way into his nose. "We have to go, Ranya. Now", he said more calmly than he would have thought himself capable. She looked up into his eyes. Her eyes were red and swollen. She looked miserable but she wiped off her tears with her sleeve and stood up.

"I know a way out of this hell."


	4. Out of the Frying Pan

**A/N:** Indra1989: It means a lot to me that you are following the story with great interest, thank you very much for commenting on every chapter so far (and sorry for not replying in an earlier chapter). But enough fore-talk, please enjoy chapter four (as far as someone can enjoy what has already happened)

Survivor12-21-12: Nice username btw, I actually hosted a small end-of-the-world party the evening before the 21st. Anyway, thank you for your support and please have fun reading (is that even an appropriate wording? because I don't think it is)

* * *

 _Chapter 4: Out of the Frying Pan_

"Lift your arm, Amal! Watch out for low blows!" Ilyas was standing next to Rauf as he was correcting the novices while they were practicing combat with each other. Soraya had found some peace in the shadow of an olive tree and was resting there though she would look up from time to time to make sure that Ilyas was still there. The novices had been curious about her but after every one of them had had a chance of petting her they let her rest in the shadow.

It's been about three and a half weeks since Ranya and the three Assassins had left Masyaf. Almost every day Ilyas had accompanied Rauf as he trained the youngsters. The boys must be around thirteen which was an age that Ilyas didn't particularly remember. He had started stealing before he had been their age. Of course those thefts had only been petty offenses, the heists had started later, past his childhood. Perhaps he had started practicing with a sword at that age, but he couldn't remember. The years seemed to him like a never ending flow without a clear separation from each other.

Yesterday, Rauf had invited Ilyas over for dinner with his family. Ilyas was more than glad - even though the food that was cooked for everyone who resided in the castle was quite good, he didn't like being alone while eating. He wasn't used to loneliness at all. The only times that he had no company was whenever he was on a mission, and there he was too busy to be bothered by it. In the Vault he was never alone, even if he wanted to. Their sleeping quarters were always shared with other thieves.

Rauf's family had heartily welcomed him. His parents were a lovely couple - his mother was a gentle and caring woman who seemed to be someone who would never raise her voice. And with such a nice family, Ilyas thought, that wouldn't be necessary anyway. Rauf's father was just as mild-mannered as his wife. The man used to be an Assassin, but after a serious injury, which had cost him half of his right leg, he had decided to care for his house and his family. Sometimes he would work for the brotherhood when some paperwork was due as Rauf's father was a natural at writing and reading not only in Arabic but also in French which was just as important for the brotherhood as their native language.

Rauf's siblings couldn't be more different. Sarah, his older sister, was a very polite yet witty young woman. Her husband hadn't been in Masyaf yesterday as Assassin business kept him in Damascus for some days. Ilyas had already met their daughter, Amala, on his first morning in Masyaf. Rauf's brother was a cheerful young boy as was his niece. Since their age gap wasn't that big they seemed like siblings and were mostly treated as such. Ilyas admired Rauf's family and was upset that he would probably never see them again once he will leave Masyaf. Perhaps, he thought, the forming relationship between guild and brotherhood would allow him to come to Masyaf from time to time.

Ilyas watched Amir, Rauf's little brother, who was pounding on his opponent with his wooden sword. They were very young, needless to say, but if they continued hitting each other as if their swords were some sort of sticks, their long training sessions would be in vain. Perhaps all they needed was some motivation, Ilyas mused. They were just young boys after all and it wasn't surprising that they didn't take their task too seriously.

"You need to encourage them", Ilyas addressed Rauf, who was pacing back and forth.

"They are thirteen year old boys. How would one motivate them?" Ilyas laughed at the desperate tone in the Assassin's voice.

"I don't know, you're the instructor."

Rauf bit his lower lip which he did quite often as Ilyas had noticed. Every time the Assassin was in deep thought or concentrating hard on something he would suck his lower lip into his mouth.

"If you were their age, what would give you incentive?", he asked finally.

Ilyas shrugged his shoulders.

"How about a demonstration? I was told you were good with a sword. Would you like to show them what a good fight looks like?"

Ilyas wanted to decline that offer immediately, he didn't think it would be wise to show off his skills to the Assassins. He wasn't afraid of it backfiring but still …

Anyway, the thief was interrupted by one of the novices who seemed to have listened to their conversation.

"Yes, please! A demonstration!", he said loudly enough that everyone else could hear. The other Assassins-to-be dropped their practices and voiced their desires for a fight between the two adults. Ilyas sighed inwardly. There was no way he could say no even though he believed that the children weren't so very keen on seeing them in combat but rather in want of a break.

"Alright", he said finally and Rauf ordered the novices to be quiet and leave the fighting-ring so that none of them would get hurt.

Ilyas drew his sword, a perfectly balanced masterpiece that he had actually let crafted so that it fitted his stature and weight. He had actually paid for it. Well, he had stolen his money back afterwards, but that was the same thing, right?

Rauf recited the rules - no blows directed at head or centre of body, nor were any lethal strikes allowed. Whoever was in a hopeless position first would lose.

Ilyas nodded absently. He would practice fights like these quite often with some of his fellow thieves in the Vault where space was even more restricted than here. He mused with himself whether he would do everything to win or whether he would let Rauf beat him for the sake of not showing all of his moves.

He didn't have long to ponder on those thoughts as the fight was started.

They started circling each other. Rauf was right-handed as was Ilyas. His combat posture was impeccable, the thief noticed. Most people would somehow always make mistakes when it came to place their feet, especially when they are moving during a fight. Rauf's back was a little bent forward which would allow him quicker and more flexible sidesteps. It dawned on Ilyas that he might not even have a chance of defeating the Assassin. Not even the city guards were all professionally trained.

It was Ilyas who started the first attack. As expected, Rauf was quick to dodge. The thief anticipated a counter attack from Rauf, but the Assassin waited for him to launch another blow. Ilyas wasn't sure how long Rauf would make him - and their spectators who had grown in number as some other Assassins had joined the novices - wait for his own attack, but Ilyas wasn't patient enough to find that out. The thief attacked multiple times in hope of tiring the Assassin or let one false movement slip him. In vain, as it turned out.

Blocking one heavier blow from Ilyas, Rauf used the power of his opponent against him and tossed him a back few feet. Ilyas was already breathing heavily whereas the Assassin didn't look one bit exhausted. This is going to be embarrassing, Ilyas thought.

And embarrassing it was. Ilyas was only able to dodge Rauf's blows with great effort. The thief would never have thought the Assassin was capable of such heavy attacks.

The novices were encouraging their instructor by yells and cheers. At least they were finally paying attention, even though it would cost Ilyas his dignity. Maybe he didn't want to come back to Masyaf after all.

Soraya on the other hand, was still laying quietly under the tree and watched the fighting pair with curious eyes. However, she didn't look like she would move a muscle to aid Ilyas. Disloyal cat, he thought.

He gripped his sword tight and focused on being more passive, only blocking Rauf's blows without spending too much stamina. Ilyas was thinner and smaller than the Assassin, maybe he could outmaneuver him by using this to his advantage. Ilyas blocked the next few blows and then dodged the heaviest one by sidestepping under his opponents's blade. Standing next to Rauf now he used the Assassin's moment of thinking by kicking into the backside of his knees. Rauf was brought to his knees and Ilyas already began to point his sword at his throat but he was cut off in the middle of his movement. Rauf used his disadvantaged position for himself as he had changed the hand with which he was holding his sword and was using his now free hand to pull Ilyas from his feet. The thief landed heavily on his back and lost his sword in the process. He couldn't do much but see himself being defeated as Rauf was now towering over him with the tip of his sword directed at his throat. Teeth-gnashingly Ilyas admitted his defeat. Rauf helped him back to his feet with a smile and thanked him for partaking.

"You were a worthy opponent, Ilyas." The thief answered with a short laugh as they were shaking hands.

"Who are you kidding, I stood no chance against you."

"That's not what I said."

They were interrupted, however, by an Assassin coming towards them.

"Altaïr has come back", he said excitedly.

* * *

 _about two weeks earlier_

Ranya was more or less dragging Malik with her. She had tried to stop the bleeding with one of her many belts but he was becoming weaker with every passing minute. She wanted to bring him into the Vault, to safety. Ranya knew Hannah would be able to help him more than she was capable of. Everything would be better if they would just reach the sanctum that was the Vault.

"Ranya wait, we have to get the artefact first." She stopped to let him get some breath as even these few words seemed to cost him a lot of effort. She let him lean against a wall. "You are seriously injured, Malik. And I cannot fight. The artefact is lost to us."

With his uninjured hand he grabbed her arm. "Don't let Kadar's death be in vain. We need to finish this mission." He was breathing heavily and it frightened Ranya. Stabilizing him was one thing, but she would never be able to carry him should he fall unconscious.

"This mission has finished us. There is no object that could be more valuable than a life."

"That's quite the lousy opinion for a thief." He grinned and tried to laugh which soon turned into a rattling in his throat.

Ranya knew she had lost this discussion. Malik had probably already won before he had started speaking. She could not refuse his wish.

It might be his last, she thought miserably.

"Alright, we'll find the artefact and then leave this temple for good."

He nodded solemnly. "Do you know of any rooms here where Robert might have gone to?", he asked.

"What does the artefact look like? Might it be in the Ark that we've seen earlier?"

Malik shook his head. "I don't know what it's supposed to be. I guess we'll know when we see it."

"No, you are going to hide here. If you want to get the artefact, then I'll do it alone." Malik tried to protest, but this time Ranya would not surrender to him. "You are too slow, you are barely standing, I'll be much quicker and more quiet."

He nodded slowly. "Do you know where to start looking?"

"I'll go back to the room and see what I can find."

Malik let himself be hidden by Ranya. She knew this part of the temple perfectly; it was close to the shut entrance to the Vault. There were many dead-ends and other tunnels that lead nowhere so she hoped he wouldn't be detected here.

"I'll be as quick as possible. Please stay awake, Malik." He nodded smiling weakly.

She ran back the way they had come from and had to avert her eyes at the bloody mess of bodies on the ground. She looked at the table that was close to the door that Robert had left through earlier. The maps showed parts of the temple, of its tunnels … well that was interesting. She quickly folded maps that were new to her and stored them in her pockets. The Templars had apparently made notes on how they had changed the tunnel systems. What she uncovered next however was confusing to her. Someone had made a quick sketch of what had been on top of the Ark of the Covenant. Between the wings of the seraphim was a sphere that could apparently be opened. That must be it, she thought. There was some text which she couldn't decipher. She had once tried to memorize the latin alphabet but since she never had to use it she quickly forgot most of the letters. However, even if she would recognize some of the letters, she wouldn't be able to translate the text anyway.

She turned the sheet and found another sketch. It was an orb that had some strange linings on it. It looked very symmetrical and she wondered who might have crafted something with such an odd design. She quickly folded that sheet as well and stashed it in one of her pockets as well.

She looked up to where the Ark of the Covenant was and sighed in relief. The winged box was still where it had been as she had first laid eyes on it.

Cautiously the thief peered out of the room to make sure no one would detect her. Maybe Altaïr had already found the artefact and she was risking her life - and Malik's - for nothing. As soon as the thought crossed her mind she pushed it away. Maybe the master Assassin had been crushed by the stones that had crumbled down after him. There was no guarantee that he had survived that fall.

Now she only needed to find out how to climb up there. The ladders on the other side of the room weren't nearly tall enough to reach the plateau on which the Ark was. The Templars had started building framework towards the Ark but apparently had stopped in the middle of it as it didn't quite reach the plateau yet.

She climbed on top of the framework to get a better view. She wouldn't be able to get a hold on the stone pillars, but maybe she could jump high enough to grasp the edge of the platform. She took a deep breath and sprinted towards the end of the framework platform to get as much power into the jump as possible.

Her fingers stung as she gripped the cold stone of the plateau and her feet were desperately trying to get a hold on the pillars or anything so that she wouldn't fall down. Eventually she found her footing and pushed herself up onto the platform. She wasted no time and opened the sphere. She could have screamed out of joy as she found the strange orb still inside.

But it was glowing. There was actual light coming through the symmetrical cracks. She was afraid that she might break it if she carried it inside the seraphim box so she carefully grabbed the orb. She expected it to be hot or warm at least, but it felt surprisingly cold. What witchcraft made it glow if it wasn't illuminated by fire?

Ranya cradled it in her hands as if it was a fragile piece of pottery. The illumination grew and became all surrounding. She wondered if the light could go through the thick walls of the temple and illuminated Jerusalem as if the sun had come down to earth. The thief stared into the orb, maybe the cravings had some sort of meaning? Were the lines words of a language she had never seen the letters to?

If she concentrated hard enough she thought she could almost see some strange images before her eyes … or behind them? Were the pictures in her head? She couldn't describe what she was seeing. It was a blur of flesh, people … they were completely nude. Then there was a frame, or a device? It looked like a design for something, but Ranya couldn't identify what it represented.

Voices coming towards her could be heard. Ranya quickly put the orb back into its box and closed it.

The voices grew in volume, they must be close to the room in which she was in now. It was Robert with his men. She believed she heard him curse and quickly hid behind the Ark, the artefact hidden underneath her cloak and safe in her arms. She immediately cursed herself. If he were to look up for the artefact he would see that it was gone. She couldn't back away any more from where she was now. But maybe … maybe he would think that they had already gotten away and go to search for them. Then she hoped she could get down undetected to go and get Malik and leave through the secret tunnels.

Even though Ranya couldn't understand what they were talking about, she guessed that Robert was barking commands and orders to his fellow Templars. The hilt of the short sword pushed uncomfortably into her hip. She waited some agonizing long moments after she had heard the last command being shouted and then dared to peer down. Fortunately, they had all left the room. She guessed that she had heard about five men, but some could have been extremely quiet, so maybe there were a few more. It was difficult climbing down again with the unhandy artefact in her arm but she managed it faster than she had imagined.

Sneaking back to where she had left Malik was sheer torture. She had been a thief too long to be easily detected. She knew how to become one with her surroundings. But she had no idea how long it had been since she had dropped him. How long had she looked at the artefact? She didn't know but she found the Assassin still breathing and with his eyes opened. Alive.

"Malik, can you stand up?" He looked up to where she was standing and it took him some moments to focus on her face. He had lost so much blood.

"Do you have it?", he asked and he sounded weak but his words were clear and he didn't sound as bad as before. Maybe he'll live.

"Yes, I have it, but Robert knows that we have stolen it. He is searching the whole temple. Come, let me help you." She lifted him up to his feet and guided him through the network of tunnels. It didn't take her long to find the entrance to the Vault. They had shut it long ago and she hoped that she could open it without Malik's help. After all they hadn't shut it with the intention of having to open it ever again. She had to move a lot of stones and rubble to free the metal plate that covered the entrance. It took her some time to move everything out of the way but she had to admit that it hadn't taken her as long as it should have. She would need to tell her fellow thieves to shut that entrance more thoroughly. Or let this tunnel collapse for good.

She helped Malik down the slippery corridor and shut the entrance after her. If no one was particularly looking for that trapdoor they wouldn't find it easily, but she would have to immediately send some thieves there to make sure no one could come through. She was, however, relieved to find the tunnel system behind the trapdoor as confusing as she remembered it. Whoever came down here without knowledge of the tunnels might never find the exit and starve to death. It took them several minutes to reach the Vault where they were greeted with the tip of a sword at the fist door.

"Ranya! What in hell's name …?" She didn't wait for the thief to finish.

"No time! Help me stabilizing him! Where is Hannah?"

They quickly dragged him through the main room where they collected Hannah. "Abdul!", Ranya greeted the thief. "I need you to gather some others and check the entrance to the temple. We have used that tunnel and I couldn't shut the trapdoor sufficiently." Abdul wasted no time and called out for others that were currently in the main room.

They brought Malik to the library where they laid him on a table. Hannah was quick with ordering some younger thieves to collect everything she needed from her room. The old woman began cutting off the fabric of the Assassin's sleeves as Ranya was sitting down next to his head and tried to gain his attention.

"So this is were you live?", he started with a smile.

She nodded. "Welcome to the Vault. You can count yourself lucky. You're the first Assassin to have come here."

"I have always wondered where you hide. Some think that you just appear and disappear. But that might be just the case, right?" She smiled in answer.

"Rani! I heard the tumult but … what happened?"

She jumped up at her uncle's voice. She hugged him close and he was reassuringly stroking her back. "You're hurt", he said and looked at her throat.

"It's nothing … compared to him." Ismail nodded.

"That's Malik, he is one of the three Assassins that accompanied me. He and his brother saved my life. Malik, this is my uncle, Ismail."

Ismail nodded respectfully at the the Assassin who repeated the gesture. "You will always be a welcome guest here."

He took one of Hannah's rags and carefully cleaned the wound on Ranya's throat while she explained what had lead to this disaster.

"Is that the artefact?", her uncle asked and pointed at the winged box that she had laid on the ground next to the table. She nodded as he bandaged her neck. Ismail looked searchingly into her eyes and she let a tear slip her eye but was quick to wipe it away. Now was not the time to cry, she told herself.

Hannah had cleaned the wound and was now stitching it up. Malik's pained gaze made Ranya unbuckle one of her belts and put it between his teeth. He thanked her silently and bit down on it hard.

"The master Assassin, do you know where he is?", Ismail asked.

Ranya shook her head. "I don't know whether he is alive."

Behind her, Malik spoke up. He had taken her belt from his mouth with his uninjured hand. "Knowing him he probably wasted no time leaving the city. He is most likely on his way back now." He groaned in pain and put the leather back between his teeth.

"I am going to send word to Masyaf that the artefact is safe. Malik should stay here." The addressed protested. "As soon as we are ready we will go. I will be fine."

"We'll see about that", Hannah interjected and he had to muffle a cry as she continued stitching his wound.

Ranya lead Ismail to his bureau. "The artefact, it is some kind of strange orb. I have opened the box, this is what's inside." She pulled out the sketch of it and gave it to him. "You won't believe me, but it's illuminated. There is light coming from those cracks but it is not fire, it's quite cool when you touch it. And I have seen strange things in my head. People and other kind of things."

Ismail tried to calm his niece down. "Maybe there is some kind of drug in there that had made you see strange things. There is an explanation to everything, Rani. But I suggest you don't ask the Assassins' mentor about it." He gave her the sheet and she put it back into her pocket.

"I'm not stupid. I know I shouldn't have opened it. But I wasn't sure whether it was inside or not. Uncle, there were Templars inside the temple. Templars! How could they even get inside the city?"

"Calm down, Rani, I will investigate this. You only have to focus on getting back to Masyaf. You sent Abdul to close the entrance, right?" She nodded. "Good. Everything will be good soon, Rani. We will talk about everything when this mission is finished, okay?" She nodded again and he gave her a gentle squeeze and kissed her head.

"Let's see how your friend is doing."

* * *

Ismail was helping Malik undress to give him some of his own clothing that wasn't torn open and bloodied. Meanwhile Ranya was in her own room that she shared with her brother and two other thieves, one of which was currently with her in the room. Ranya was discarding her clothes to dress in some clean ones as well.

Ismail had sent word to Masyaf earlier and she hoped that the pigeon would reach the Assassins and not be stopped somehow. She couldn't imagine what her brother might do if he found out that the master Assassin had returned alone.

"His arm looks very bad. Hannah didn't tell him, but it looked like his bones were shattered." The older thief, a thirty-five year old woman that Ismail had brought in from one of the many brothels as she had been twenty, had been helping Hannah as she had tended to Malik.

Samira was sitting on Ranya's cot which was completely unnecessary as her own was not even 5 feet away.

"Do you think he will survive?", Ranya asked anxiously. Samira had a lot more knowledge of the human body as she was more often helping Hannah than any other thief when it came to tending to wounds.

"I am sure of it. Both Hannah and I were quite surprised that he was back on his feet so quickly after being bandaged. About his arm … I don't think he will be able to use it as before, if at all. But he looks like a man that's full of wonders. He told me of Masyaf. Rani, have you seen the garden? He said they were full of all kinds of exotic plants."

She shook her head as she was putting on her belts. She sadly didn't have any spare ones so she had to wear the one Malik had bitten on. A reminder of this day, she mused. The one she had used to stop the bleeding must be still in the library or already thrown away. She could afford to lose one, then.

"However, I don't think it's best to leave so soon. He should rest and you look quite exhausted as well. Here, let me help you with your hair."

Samira brushed the younger thief's hair with her hands and braided it the way Ranya and she herself wore it most often. With skilled fingers she separated her hair and braided one strand around the top of Ranya's head. After some experimenting they had found this way of braiding the most comfortable one for if they just pinned the hair up at the back of their head the weight of the hair was too heavy to wear it for a long time. The scalp would soon start to hurt that way. Samira repeated the process with the rest of Ranya's hair and pinned everything securely to Ranya's head.

The younger thief thanked her friend. "I know we shouldn't but … we can't risk leaving the artefact here." Ranya thought about how it had illuminated the room and fogged her mind. She would be more relaxed when she knew it was no threat to the guild. Of course she didn't want to rush Malik, but she had offered to him to stay here and recover while she brought the artefact back to Masyaf. He would have none of it, however.

"So you will risk his life?", Samira persisted.

"Samira, look, I cannot tell you about it. I shouldn't even know about it myself but alas, I do and I wish I didn't."

They were interrupted by a knock and Ismail came to them. "Samira, could you leave me and my niece alone?"

With a questioning look at the master she elegantly swung herself from Ranya's bed and left her room.

"I have talked with the Assassin, you will leave shortly. I have put the artefact along with some spare bandages and food into a bag. The artefact that you have retrieved, I have laid my eyes on it and I think it is best not to have it here any longer. I wanted to send some of us with you, but Malik heavily protested so I will give you a bow and a quiver. He seems strong enough for now, but you better have something to defend yourself."

It was then that her uncle noticed the unfamiliar sword at her side. "Since when do you have a short sword?"

She shook her head. "The master Assassin gave it to me to not leave me unprotected."

Ismail huffed. "You should have rammed it between his ribs."

She didn't respond so the guild master continued. "There is something I have meant to give you for a long time. I have pondered on it for too long, but I think since you are the first born, even if only by a few minutes, you should have it." He pulled out a necklace that he had been wearing underneath his clothes and unclasped it from his neck to hand it to her. There was a ring dangling from it. It was a strange ring, Ranya noticed with what looked like numbers carved into it in straight and symmetrical lines. It reminded her of something …

She looked questioningly up into her uncle's eyes. "I noticed it as soon as you showed me the sketch of the artefact. I have carried it long enough. Your mother used to wear it and when she died I couldn't bury it with her. Our mother gave it to her." Ranya frowned. Her uncle rarely spoke of his parents and Ranya and her brother almost knew nothing of their grandparents. Or origins, for that matter.

Ranya clasped the necklace around her neck and tucked it underneath her armour. "Your mother would be so proud of what you and your brother have grown up to become. As am I." For the second time that day he kissed her head hugged her. "But you have to leave now, the Assassin is already waiting for you."


	5. Into The Fire

**A/N:** As I have just recently found out that my time planning for the distances between the cities was ridiculously wrong, I have decided to correct my mistakes. I completely overestimated the power of a horse. I hope that I have erased all errors and beg your pardon. (The time that our heroes would need from Masyaf to ride on horseback to Jerusalem would be about 12-13 days. I have no idea how I could fuck up my calculations that bad. Also, I'm having serious issues uploading new content, so sorry for the delay.

That said, I haven't added any more plot, so there is no need to reread everything. I mostly changed numbers.)  
And I know I wasn't very consistent concerning American and British spelling, which is due to the fact that I somehow hadn't been able to choose British English and my laptop always used the American spelling.

And last but not least, thanks to all my readers, especially my lovely reviewers Indra1989, Survivor12-21-12 and the newest one: wildcat717 (in no particular order). Thanks for commenting; you give me the motivation to go on with this story!

* * *

 _Chapter 5: Into The Fire_

Tears that she had been holding in for too long stung in Ranya's eyes as she spurred Nero and Kadar's horse on. Faster, they had to be faster, why were they so bloody slow? Malik had difficulties catching up with her speed. Sticks supported his left arm so that the constant movement wouldn't do much more damage. "We need to be faster!", the thief shouted at the Assassin.

They must be three, maybe two hours away from Masyaf. A few hours ago they had seen, from a cliff on which they had paused to eat and let the horses rest - as well as checking Malik's injury - an army approaching them. The banner that they carried had been a red cross, Templars. Ranya had no idea how they could have missed them for the past days. They had immediately packed their things and had followed the army from a safe distance. They were undoubtedly en route to the north, which was also the direction to Masyaf. Ranya had tried to get closer to see who was their leader. At the tip of the thousand-men strong army was Robert de Sablé. Ranya didn't doubt one bit that he was on his way to the Assassins.

At the thought of that, Ranya reached for the bag on her back and sighed in relief as she felt the metallic sphere.

"It will not do any good if we ruin the horses by bad riding!", Malik shouted at her. She let herself fall back. Kadar's horse noticed a little too late that she was reducing their speed and almost collided with Nero. She had leashed the horse to Nero's saddle as soon as they had left the stables. Malik had wanted to do take his brother's horse, but she had pointed out to him that he had currently only one hand available, which he would need for his own horse.

"How do they even know the way to Masyaf?", she asked. Malik shrugged in response. "Maybe they have known it for a longer time, sent a spy after one of my brothers. Maybe we have a traitor in our midst. But that is not of our concern now. We need to warn Masyaf."

Ranya nodded absently and adjusted her scarf. Thankfully an army couldn't move very quickly. They would reach Masyaf long before them and then everything will be good. The Templars will not be able to pass the cliff path to Masyaf. They would not enter the village, let alone the fortress, Ranya mused.

* * *

Never before had he been so ashamed when returning to Masyaf. Never before had the master Assassin failed so badly that he would have had to fear facing his master. With an increasing heartbeat Altaïr brought his stallion to the stables and tried to converse as little as possible. The other Assassins knew of the mission he returned from; everyone knew of the new affiliation with the thieves.

He was glad that no one approached him on his way through the village. He held his head low; his hood was - as always - pulled over his head so that he didn't have to make eye contact with anyone. He knew where the parents of Malik and Kadar lived and he didn't want to risk them seeing him so the master Assassin took another, slightly longer path upwards to the fortress. Someone else would tell them that they would never see their sons again. He didn't fear their hate for him; he figured they would have a distaste for him anyway. He was ashamed of having been so reckless that not only three people were dead, but also of not having received the artefact. He wasn't particularly keen on embarrassing himself more than necessary.

He could feel the beating of his heart in every corner of his body as he was passing the gates of the fortress. He was stopped there, however.

"Ah, he returns at last." Altaïr cursed his bad luck as he saw Abbas leaning casually on the wall. "Abbas", he greeted his brother with no warmth in his voice.

"Where are the others? Did you ride ahead, hoping to be the first one back? I know you are loathe to share the glory."

Altaïr decided not to respond. "Silence is just another form of assent." Abbas' body language made it all too clear how much the Assassin disapproved with Altaïr.

"Have you nothing better to do?", Altaïr asked. He was growing tired of Abbas denouncing him and he didn't want to delay his meeting with the master any longer.

"I bring word from the master. He waits for you in his office. Best hurry. No doubt you're eager to put your tongue to his boot." Abbas was slightly leaning forward and gesturing wildly with his hands to ridicule Altaïr.

"Another word and I'll put my blade to your throat."

Abbas was expecting such a remark. "There will be plenty of time for that later, ‛brother'", Abbas said scornfully.

With a little bit too much drama, as Altaïr thought, Abbas walked past him, almost touching him in the process.

Altaïr stood there for a short moment, trying to gather his thoughts again. He finally sighed heavily and continued on his way to his master.

* * *

"He's alone. Why is he alone?" Ilyas looked questioningly at Rauf as they watched the master Assassin make his way upwards to the castle.

"Labib, I will leave the novices to you", Rauf said calmly. He then brought his attention back to Ilyas. "I'm sure there is a reason for him returning alone."

The thief scoffed. He hadn't trusted the master Assassin as he had first met him and he certainly didn't now. "Oh I am very positive there is a reason."

Ilyas swung himself over the wooden fence and ignored Rauf's pleas to wait until the master Assassin had spoken to Al Mualim. The cheetah stood up, unsettled by Ilyas suddenly leaving the yard. She trotted up next to him. Noticing how tense the thief was, Soraya set back her ears and ducked her head, looking for any danger.

* * *

"Altaïr", the master greeted his student.

"Master", he responded.

"Come forward. Tell me of your mission." The Assassin made a step forward, as he saw someone rapidly approaching from his side. He loosened his hidden blade, but quickly let it snap back as he saw that it was Rauf alongside that thief's brother and her pet that examined every move of him. The cat looked ready to pounce should he make any wrong movement.

"Where is my sister?", the thief asked him through gritted teeth.

"Silence, please", the master interrupted. "Altaïr, please enlighten us why you came alone."

Altaïr swallowed the lump in his throat. Why did his master not send the outsiders and Rauf away? It was bad enough that he had to embarrass himself in front of his mentor. "There was some trouble, master. Templars occupied the temple. Robert de Sablé was there."

"When does our work ever go as expected? It's our ability to adapt that makes us who we are."

Altaïr shook his head. "This time it was not enough."

"What do you mean?", Al Mualim asked, his voice slightly raised. Altaïr looked down for a moment, not having looked into his master's eyes in the first place. He noticed some dried blood on his front. He must have cut himself as he had been thrown through the room in the temple.

"I have failed you." The master began pacing back and forth behind his desk.

"The treasure?"

"Lost to us."

"And Robert?"

"Escaped."

Altaïr dreaded the next question. He mentally prepared himself for being ripped apart by the cheetah's claws and teeth in the next moment.

"I have sent you, my best man, to complete a mission most important than any that has come before. And you return to me with nothing but apologies and excuses!" His master paused for a moment to collect himself and then continued with a calmer, yet heavier voice. "This is not what I expected. We'll need to mount another force."

"I'll swear to you, I'll find go and find …-"

"No! You'll do nothing! You've done enough!" Altaïr felt another lump forming in his throat and remained silent. He did best by not angering his master any further.

Al Mualim looked from his student to their spectators. "Where are Malik, Kadar and Ranya?"

He let out a heavy breath. "Dead."

* * *

She was racing up the stairs, taking two steps in one stride. Malik was far behind her, but as they had heard at the stables that Altaïr had also just returned, she had wasted no time to reach the fortress.

She could see the Assassins' mentor standing behind his desk, focusing on an Assassin, Altaïr, she noticed. On his side were her brother and Soraya and much to her surprise, another Assassin. The cheetah looked as if she was ready to pounce on the master Assassin, and she might have, but she stopped dead in her tracks and lifted her head from her crouched position to look to where Ranya was now slowly approaching as she had been analysing the situation. She chirped excitedly as she recognized Ranya and ran to her, her head pressed into the thief's side and nudging her as soon as she had reached her. Ranya petted her head and quickly joined the rest of the party. Her brother embraced her tightly and kissed her forehead. She could see his eyes sparkling as if he was close to crying. She smiled weakly.

Malik came up the steps, breathing heavily and clutching his arm as he stepped up next to Ranya.

"You!", Malik yelled at the master Assassin.

"Where is your brother?", Al Mualim asked Malik.

"Gone, because of you!" He pointed at Altaïr.

"Robert threw me from the room. There was no way back, nothing I could do."

"Because you would not heed my warning. All of this could have been avoided. And my brother … my brother would still be alive! Your arrogance nearly cost us victory today!"

"Nearly?", the master inquired.

"Ranya went back to bring what your favourite failed to find", Malik explained.

It took Ranya a second to understand that this was her cue to bring forward what they had found.

She took her bag and grabbed the sphere to hand it to Al Mualim. He eyed it with awe.

"But we have come with more than their treasure. There is an army of hundreds of men approaching Masyaf with Robert de Sablé at their tip. They were close on our heels for the past few hours. There is not much time to prepare."

"So he seeks a battle. Very well, I will not deny him."

He beckoned two other Assassins to come closer. "You will inform the others to begin preparations." The Assassin nodded and went off. "And you will bring Malik and Ranya to the hospital wing." The Assassin nodded and motioned for the female thief to follow him, but she protested.

"I am not injured. I am a good archer, I will help defend Masyaf." There was no way she would hide somewhere and wait until the Templars came to slaughter her. She thought of escaping Masyaf, but quickly shook off the thought. There was an army not far away and she figured it would be safer in the fortress with hundreds of trained Assassins, rather than fleeing and probably stumbling into the Templars. She had no doubt that Robert would recognise her.

Al Mualim nodded. "Very well, then. Go and prepare. As for you, Altaïr, our discussion will have to wait. You will help to destroy the invaders, drive them away from our home."

* * *

The female thief hurt all over. She had been on horseback for the past, what has it been? Four weeks? With greater breaks, of course, but she truly missed walking. After the Templars' attack, she decided, she would need a few days of rest.

Ranya had followed Malik to the hospital wing after all. She has had some time to accompany him before the Templars reached Masyaf and she felt strange somehow to leave him after all this time. His arm had gotten worse as a servant had undressed him. As the nurse inspected the wound, Ranya had tried to best explain everything that had happened to Ilyas who had not left her side. She told him that there had been Templars in the temple and that they have been attacked by them. She told him that after Kadar's death, she went to find the artefact and that it was on the Ark of the Covenant, which had probably been inside the temple all the time. Ilyas wasn't surprised that she had used the Vault to escape.

Her brother had then left her to support the Assassins as word has reached them that the Templars had managed to break through the gates and were now coming into the village. Some of the villagers were still not in the protecting walls of the fortress and needed to be saved. She knew it was selfish of her to not immediately join them but she couldn't bring herself to leave Malik's side while he was still conscious.

"You should not stay here because of me", the Assassin said with a husky voice. She gave him something to drink, which he accepted thankfully.

"I wish I could help my brothers", he sighed.

"I will do it for you. And my brother will do in the place of your brother."

Malik smiled weakly. "Thank you. For everything."

She shook her head with a frown. "This is no goodbye. I am going to come back after the Templars have been driven from Masyaf."

He nodded and then groaned in pain and the nurse apologised.

Suddenly there was a lot of noise coming from the front door to the hospital wing. Ranya grabbed her blade ready to fight off any Templars but relaxed as wounded Assassins and villagers entered.

"Go now, Ranya. Good luck." She gave him one last smile and left the hospital wing with Soraya.

* * *

"All men who can still fight get down to the gate! Our brothers are completely overrun!" The Assassin shouted further orders and Ranya took her bow from her back while walking to the front yard of the fortress. Thankfully she had thought of changing the bow her uncle had given her against the one she had secured to Nero's saddle. She was an expert on archery, but even the best needed some time to become acquainted with a new bow.

As she reached the courtyard she was greeted by chaos. Assassins and civilians were crowding the area. Some were wounded and those that were still able to walk hastily rushed past Ranya to get to the sanctuary of the hospital behind her. Women were weeping over their dead or dying sons while others cried and yelled in pain. How could the Templars bring up such a force in so little time?

She grasped the bow tighter to herself. Two Assassins who were stabilising an old man were coming right towards her. Ranya just managed to jump to the side in time and almost bumped into Soraya. The thief could feel her heartbeat quicken and sweat was forming on her forehead, her arms, and legs - everywhere. Needing to support herself she stumbled backwards until she felt the cliffside against her back.

Her mouth went dry and she felt a dizziness as if she were going to faint soon.

Something warm was touching her hand. Or rather bumping into it. She glanced down to see Soraya nuzzling her head into Ranya's side. Her hands were covered with dried sweat as she lifted her hand to pet her friend's head comfortingly.

She then realised that she had somehow dropped her bow. She looked around and saw it just two feet away from her. She quickly went to retrieve it and exhaled deeply. Whatever had overcome her, she was glad it was gone, even though she could still feel the yet quickened thud of her heart. Her hands were slightly shaking as she gripped her bow and she tried to will it away, but to no avail. How was she supposed to aim if she couldn't hold her hands still? She breathed deeply a few times to relax her body. She couldn't let her brother down; she needed to get into the village. "Let's go, Soraya."

* * *

The male thief was fighting alongside Altaïr and the Assassins at the gate. The master Assassin couldn't believe how easily the Templars had broken into the village even with their preparation. Masyaf had never been attacked like that and this incident just proved to him how negligent they had been in the past. There was also the possibility that someone from inside had assisted the Templars in some way. Whatever means the Templars had used, Altaïr would talk to his master about the issue.

"Break the attack and retreat! Al Mualim commands it!"

Some of his brothers immediately fled the battle scene. Idiotic, Altaïr thought. The Templars wouldn't just let them get away so easily. Arrows flew and he could see one Assassin clutch at his back in an attempt to remove it. Altaïr looked at the others Assassins who were still in the fight and not able to break it so easily. As he was currently without an opponent to fight, he rushed to help one of his brothers.

"Altaïr! We need to get everyone back into the castle!", Rauf called out to him. The master Assassin slit open the neck of Rauf's opponent and nodded at him.

Together now, they rushed to the remaining Assassins and helped them finishing the Templars. The last few of them retreated, obviously not wanting to die in a hopeless attempt to slay some of their enemies.

"Ilyas, are you hurt?", Altaïr heard Rauf asking the thief. They seemed to have grown quite familiar since Altaïr had left Masyaf.

"Just a few scratches, I'll be fine. You?" Rauf nodded him off and they followed the other Assassins who had already started to climb up to the castle.

* * *

That damn cat, Ranya thought as she ran through the village trying to find her cheetah. Just as an Assassin had called out the order to retreat, the big cat had run off and down into Masyaf. There were still Templars and Assassins fighting everywhere and from here, she couldn't really make out who was gaining the upper hand. She just hoped that no Templar would notice her.

She took her bow back in her hands. Just a precaution, she told herself. If Soraya was in need of help, it might come in handy when she was ready to shoot.

Ranya wasn't as anxious as before, but she could still feel her body tensing up and her hands had become so cold that she could barely feel the leather sheathing of her bow.

She didn't dare to cry out for the missing cat and tried to stick to the house walls. Her hood and scarf were covering her head, but she guessed the Templars would quickly find out that she was neither an Assassin nor a citizen of Masyaf. There was no way that de Sablé hadn't informed his men of the intruders that had stolen the relic.

"No! Don't touch her!"

Ranya was on the second level as she heard a high-pitched voice. It must belong to a young woman. The thief couldn't find the source. Most houses had been left in a hurry and there were open doors everywhere. That, and she were afraid that Templars were in some of these houses and looted them.

But the woman was crying now and pleading someone to let go of someone else. Ranya could clearly hear her voice now. She felt deeply sorry for her, but she was in no condition to help her. She could probably overpower one distracted Templar, but she doubted that there would only be one. And she was alone; no one could back her up.

Heavy-heartedly, Ranya sneaked past the house. That was when she heard a growling sound, which ended in a hissing.

Soraya! Ranya rarely heard her friend making these sounds; it was an indication that she was highly stressed and close to attacking someone.

Her bow wouldn't do her any good in such a small space, so she put it on her back. She tried to remember the combat lessons her uncle had given her when she was younger, before she had decided to stick to archery. With the Assassin's sword in her hand, she dared to take a peek through the door into the house. She could see three armed Templars cornering a young woman whose face she couldn't see, but she could clearly hear her heart-breaking cries. And then she saw why. One of the Templars had a child tight in his grip. The child was kicking its legs at the offender and sobbing along with the young woman. Next to the woman was Soraya, spitting at the intruders. Ranya was certain the cheetah had already noticed her, but she was glad that she didn't alarm the Templars of her presence.

Ranya's mind was racing. How could she disable the Templars without causing the one holding the child to harm it?

The thief counted on the cheetah's intelligence and rushed into the room. She didn't get very far. As she tried to aim for the throat of one of the Templars not holding the child, the other alarmed his comrade. Her sword clanged against his. His blow was hard and she stumbled back a few steps. In the corner of her view she could see Soraya pouncing on the Templar who was now struggling to keep the child in his grip. She bit into his leg and caused him to let go of the child. The third Templar rushed to his aid and tried to attack Soraya, but she was faster than that. The man in front of Ranya was now moving towards her again and the woman understood that this was her only chance to get out. Ranya didn't have to yell at her to grab the child and run, she was already out before the Templars could intervene.

One of them was shouting something in French at the other. She couldn't guess what he had said, but he was moving for another blow. She managed to block it, but couldn't get her defence stance back up again fast enough and he kicked at her. She fell backwards and collided with the wall. Only that she didn't remember the wall to be so close and it gave in as she fell into it. Ranya braced herself to defend herself against another attacker. She turned around and raised her sword, but she didn't expect to see a friendly face. As friendly as it could be, given it belonged to the arrogant master Assassin. Better than another Templar, though, she thought.

Altaïr shoved her out of the way and quickly attacked the Templar. Another Assassin rushed in, along with her brother. Soraya let go of the enemy's leg and left the house with Ranya, who put away her sword. The thief checked her friend for any injuries and thankfully she couldn't find any.

"You are hurt", a female voice pointed out behind her. Ranya got up and turned around. It was the woman from before, the child was sitting on her hip; its head nestled into the fabric of its mother's dress and its fingers clawing at the fabric. It turned out to be a little girl and she was still sobbing quietly. The woman was looking at Ranya's arm and she followed her gaze. The Templar's sword must have grazed her. The material was cut and she could see some blood, but the black fabric made it hard to estimate how deep the cut was. It didn't hurt much, though, and she hadn't noticed it by herself, so it couldn't be that bad.

"It's nothing", Ranya said.

"Thank you for saving me. I don't know what they would have done if it weren't for you. How can I ever repay you?"

The woman was looking at her earnestly and it was hard for Ranya to hold her gaze. If it weren't for Soraya, she wouldn't have stepped in. What a coward she was.

"It was nothing. I didn't even overpower one of them."

In that moment, the other men came out of the house. Her brother rushed right to her side. "Rani, are you hurt? Did they harm you?"

Ranya waved him off. "I'll survive. You?" He shook his head slightly and she knew he had taken some hits. Nothing major, but she knew her brother well enough. She wouldn't inquire any further, however. Not now.

"We have to get into the castle, now!", Altaïr announced.

As it turned out, the other Assassin had been Rauf and the woman was his sister. Sarah hadn't managed to retreat because of her daughter who had hidden herself in their house. As Sarah had finally found the frightened child, the Templars had found them and that was where Soraya had come in. Ranya made a mental note to give the cat a treat later; she had earned it.

They quickly made their way into the castle, where they were greeted by chaos. Thankfully, the gate was still open and an Assassin told them that they didn't expect the Templars to come up here for another two hours or so and so the thieves departed from the others. Sarah thanked Ranya again and pulled her in for a hug after she had given her daughter to Rauf. If the woman had noticed the scars on Ranya's face, she didn't let herself show any sign of disgust. As Rauf explained to them where they should meet him later, Ranya noticed that Altaïr had already left them.

"We will put on a show for our enemies. You shouldn't miss it", the Assassin explained excitedly. Ilyas promised him that they would be there on time and finally, the twins were alone. Well, as alone as they can be in the crowded castle. Soraya was trotting behind them as they made their way into the inner courtyard from where they could access the kitchen rooms. They quickly found something and retreated into their rooms.

"You look uneasy, Rani. Are you okay?"

Ranya was sitting on her cod, stroking through Soraya's fur. Her brother eyed her suspiciously and she knew he wouldn't let go of the topic unless she told him what bothered her. "I don't know. I didn't expect this to end so brutal. This is all happening too fast."

Ilyas nodded and slurped down the rest of his soup that was probably cold already.

"We're safe here, this fortress cannot be taken by the the Templars."

"They already got this far. Ilyas, you've seen the mountains. They shouldn't have come so far so easily."

Soraya stretched herself on the blankets and pawed at the material. Her claws would undoubtedly leave holes in it.

"You think there is a traitor."

"At least one. But that's not our problem. I want to leave this place as fast as possible."

Ilyas sighed. "We have to wait for what Al Mualim says. We can't risk our mission by acting rashly." He noticed her attention drifting away from him. She was obviously tired and he desperately wanted to know everything that happened, but there would be enough time for that later.

Ranya almost kicked Soraya when they heard someone shouting. The troops were coming up to the fortress.

* * *

The thieves met up with Rauf on the battlements. The Assassins had gathered there as villagers swarmed the courtyards; some wounded or maybe already dead people were in the sand of the battle ring. Ranya could only imagine the chaos that must be the hospital wing. She hoped Malik was well.

"There you are! The Templars have come sooner than we expected, but you needn't worry; we had enough time for preparations", Rauf explained.

There were numerous archers standing on the battlements and awaiting orders. They had their bows drawn and were ready to shoot if given the command. Ranya could see the army of Templars making their way trough the village.

"I will meet with my brothers now. I promised you a show, didn't I? You will witness it soon." Rauf smiled reassuringly at the siblings and disappeared in a tower. The Assassins' mentor joined them and stood close to the balustrade as he eyed the situation.

A murmur made its way through the waiting crowd on the battlements as the enemies drew closer.

"They have hostages", Ranya could hear. She pried down, but couldn't make out much for the chaos of horses and footmen. They had taken Soraya with them but Ranya wished now that they would have left her in their room. She was affecting the Assassins as some of them would occasionally turn around to make sure the animal hadn't moved.

Ranya made her friend come closer to her and sit down next to her to calm the restless Assassins.

"Rani", her brother addressed her. She looked at him and followed his gaze upwards to the tower on their left side. On the side that was facing the village was a big opening in the wall. Three planks were protruding from that opening and on each of them stood an Assassin. "One of them must be Rauf", her brother whispered.

"Heretic! Return what you have stolen from me!" Robert's voice was booming, but his heavy accent and their higher ground made it hard to understand him.

"You have no claim to it, Robert! Take yourself from here before I'm forced to thin your ranks further!", Al Mualim retorted.

Robert didn't seem to be bothered by it. "You play a dangerous game!"

"I assure you, this is no game." Ranya was amazed by how calm the Assassins' mentor could sound. Ranya was high on adrenaline and she caught herself fumbling with the hem of her clothing.

"So be it! Bring forth the hostage!" Robert's rough voice made Ranya shiver. She peered down to get a look at what was going on and all colour left her face at once.

"No …", she whispered.

Two Templars were bringing a struggling Assassin forward whereas it took two Templars to hold the other hostage up. The middle-aged man didn't have a hood on and the sun was burning onto his head.

"I assume you know who that is. As I've heard you hide two of his apprentices. One of which is responsible for the death of some of my men."

Ranya could feel her heartbeat quickening. Her hands began to sweat and she didn't dare look up into anyone's eyes. She could feel her brother shift closer to her side as if to protect her.

"I am not trading the life of anyone in this fortress", Al Mualim exclaimed.

Ranya didn't know what to do. She had no idea how her uncle fell in the Templars' hands nor what was expected of her. Should she go forward and sacrifice herself? Would Robert even agree to barter?

"Your village lays in ruins and your stores are hardly endless! How long before your fortress crumbles from within? How disciplined will your men remain when the wells run dry and their food is gone?"

Ranya looked back at the courtyard where hopelessness was already nagging at the people. So many dead bodies.

"My men do not fear death, Robert. They welcome it, and the awards it brings." Ranya looked unsure at Ilyas, who tried to reassure her with a smile. It didn't reach his eyes.

"Good! Then they shall have it all around!"

"Show this fool knight what it is to have no fear. Go to god!"

Ranya subconsciously grasped her brother's hand as they watched the Assassins who had stood on the tower's platform leap into their certain death. Ranya couldn't see them hitting the ground and she couldn't hear them break their necks but the fall must have been deadly. All around the fortress were mountains and cliffs. She squeezed her brother's hand. He and Rauf seemed to have grown close in her absence. She couldn't believe the Assassins would waste their brothers' lives just like that.

"Do you think this impresses me? I will give you one last chance, give back what your new friends have stolen or I will destroy you and your little organisation."

Al Mualim waited a few moments before he shot back his answer. "Death will rain upon your order!"

Ranya couldn't see the Templar's face, but she could feel his rage. He shouted a command in French and another Templar impaled the Assassin on his sword. Without thinking, Ranya let go of her brother's hand and reached for her bow. But she wasn't fast enough to nock an arrow as suddenly the Templars were buried under big and heavy logs. Someone must have set the wood off from the tower behind their enemies.

Ranya couldn't see her uncle in the mess but judging by his previous state, he was in no condition to run off to save himself. Ilyas seemed to have the same thought as he searched for eye contact and nodded. They rushed down into the courtyard, Soraya closely behind and waited for the guards to open the gate. The Templars that hadn't been slain by logs were meanwhile escaping. Some arrows went flying from the battlements onto them, but few were hit as most had already reached the village.

The gate was pulled up. The thieves had troubles searching the ground for their uncle. The logs had actually buried some bodies underneath them and some hadn't found the sweet embrace of death yet and were struggling to stay alive. Ranya tried to avoid their faces and searched for the darker clothing of her uncle.

"I'm here!" Ranya looked up and saw the hunched over figure of her uncle leaning heavily against a tree. She and Ilyas went up to him as the thieves' mentor slowly let himself sit on the ground.

"Uncle! Are you hurt?", Ilyas asked.

"I think my leg is broken, but I will be fine. Are you two okay?"

Ismail's face was pale and his eyes were glazed over. He was probably terribly dehydrated, Ranya thought.

"We are, what happened? How did they get you?"

Ismail had difficulties to swallow before he could answer his niece's question. "They somehow found the entrance to the Vault." Ranya lowered herself onto her knees. Her heart felt heavy in her chest.

"They gave us a choice. Either we surrendered or we were killed. They have taken the members somewhere else; I was the only one who was brought to Robert."

Ranya felt her throat tightening as it became harder and harder to breath. "This is my fault. I led them there."

"That was hardly your intention, Rani", her brother said. He put a reassuring hand on her shoulder but it didn't do much to calm her.

"Ismail. These are truly unfortunate events to meet each other after such a long time." Al Mualim and some other Assassins had come to he thieves' side. "Rauf, Labib! Help him up and bring him to a room next to his niece and nephew. I will send someone to look at your wounds as soon as someone is available. We will discuss everything else when you have rested, my friend."

Ismail thanked the Assassins' master and the men pulled him up. Ranya was surprised to see Rauf but didn't ask any questions. She was sure to get the answer to her questions soon. Behind them, she could hear Al Mualim raising his voice. "And now to you, Altaïr."


End file.
